Beyond Stars and Chains
by AdvancedAlto
Summary: How can you forget one of your most treasured memories? How can you forget a promise? Remembering, only keeping that promise might solve some of the ache. What is more important, to listen to your heart or to keep up a fake image of yourself? A young trainer from Pallet Town is about to face his toughest challenge yet, one where the answer is older than the stars.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there people, and welcome to my first attempt at writing, _Beyond Stars and Chains_! The title probably sounds cliché, but at least I will actually refer to it eventually. Is my name a giveaway? If it isn't, I heavily support Altoshipping, among others, and this story is Altoshipping. I took some minor liberties, which will be listed below. I'm also going to thank my beta, who actually hasn't done any work yet, in advance. I have already sent in the first two chapters to her so she could look at them. But, she's super busy so I decided to get a head-start. As soon as she is done though, I will be editing any flaws she has found that replace what you see right now with updated content, and mention her by name. So, enjoy!**

**Minor changes**

**1\. Pikachu knows Electro Ball, even if this story takes place pre-Unova.**

**2\. I altered the ending of Pokemon Heroes slightly.**

**3\. Ash is 18 in this story, having started his journey at the age of 12.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

Ash Ketchum's thoughts were a mess, lifting up the cup, a sign of his victory at the Lily of the Valley Conference. He still couldn't grasp the thought that he had done it, but at the same time meeting a Latios had sent his brain into an overdrive. He should be enjoying his victory a lot more, but he couldn't. His heart was hurting, for a reason unknown to him. Why would a Latios trigger such a reaction? He tried his best to remember anything that could possibly give him an answer, or at least a hint. He connected water to the Latios, a wave clearly visible in his mind. Then the memories, and emotions, came crashing down on him and he felt that his legs were growing weaker and weaker. How could he have forgotten? How could he have forgotten one of his most treasured memories?

* * *

_"Let's go Ash!" Misty called from the boat, Ash just about to board it before something caught Pikachu's attention. Nudging his trainer's head, Ash tried to see what Pikachu was seeing, turning towards the city again. Running along the dock was one of his two friends, the difference between them minimal unless you knew how they liked to differentiate from each other. Bianca was always wearing her white beret, and Ash didn't think she would ever go without it. Noticing that she, Latias, was holding something in her hands, Ash was rather surprised when she, literary, forced, what he now knew was paper, into his hands. Unrolling it, he could only stare at the beautiful picture that was depicting him and Pikachu._

_"Did you draw it?" Ash asked, Latias nodding in response. Looking at it again, he could only admire the details on the picture and how carefully it had been drawn, "It's beautiful. Thank you Latias." _

_'There's nothing to thank for, I should be the one thanking you,' Latias said, leaning forward slightly and planting a soft kiss on Ash's cheek. Quickly pulling back from the kiss, Ash froze on the spot and was overcome by an emotion he had never felt before, at the same time shocked that Latias had spoken, 'Promise me you will come back.'_

_"I promise." Ash responded, to a degree having snapped out of his daze. Smiling at him, Latias turned around and started running back into the city._

_"Are you coming Ash?!" Misty shouted slightly annoyed, for two different reasons. Ash had been kissed by a girl, and he was taking too much time._

_"I promise I will come back." Ash mumbled to himself, his hand still touching the spot where he had been kissed and following the running Latias with his eyes. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw an annoyed Misty and a rather shocked Brock and decided that he could continue thinking once he was on the boat. _

_"Was that Latias or Bianca?" Brock asked, Pikachu looking excited and Togepi chirping in glee._

_"I don't know." Ash responded. There was no reason for them to know that he liked the attention from Latias. Staring out at the ocean, Ash simply replayed what had just happened moments earlier, Pikachu contently taking his place in Ash's lap. Absent minded, he continued his thinking while scratching Pikachu behind his ear._

_"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked worried, noticing how absent Ash was._

_"Everything's alright buddy, just thinking."_

* * *

"Ash!" Dawn shouted worried, clearly coming from somewhere behind him. Opening his eyes, he saw that he wasn't longer standing but was down on his knees. Looking up at Dawn, Ash was surprised to see her back off ever so slightly. What did she see?

"Ash, are you alright?" Brock asked, now also down on the field next to Ash. Standing up, Ash was still a little shaky before he regained his balance.

"I'm fine," Ash said, now determination in his eyes, "But there's something I got to do."

"Where's he going?" Dawn asked worried, following Ash with her gaze as he was heading straight for the exit, the cup in his hands and Pikachu sprinting after him.

"I have no idea, but wherever he's going, it's probably something important," Brock responded, knowing Ash's determination, "I don't think I have ever seen him this determined, not even during a League."

"Come on, we better follow him!" Dawn exclaimed, starting to run to make sure that she didn't lose sight of Ash. Shaking his head, Brock didn't hesitate to follow after his two friends. What would happen to them if he wasn't there to help them? Simply following Dawn, Brock was rather surprised to see Ash stand at the ticket booth, pulling out some money from his wallet and handing it over in exchange for three tickets.

"What is he doing?" Brock mumbled, mostly to himself, pretty sure that they were planning on leaving tomorrow. Dawn had said nothing about coming along either. Sure, Ash had grown from his early days in Kanto. Yes, he was more mature. Yes, he prepared more. Yes, he thought things through, but this was just strange, even for Ash. Still talking to the man in the booth, Brock and Dawn could only watch and wait for Ash to explain whatever he was doing. Eventually, Ash was done and saw Brock and Dawn standing there, questioning expressions on their faces.

"Here, take those," Ash said, heading over to Brock and Dawn and handing them a ticket each, putting away his own, "I got us two rooms on the ship to Altomare."

"Altomare?" Dawn wondered, only having heard of the city but never actually seen it.

"It has something I should done a long time ago," Ash responded, pulling out his ticket and looking at it before putting it back again, "Our ship leaves in half an hour so we should better board it."

"You remembered after seeing the Latios, right?" Brock inquired, also remembering their little trip to Altomare. He wondered if Ash still carried around the picture he had been given by a certain girl. Ash had surely been sad leaving the island, actually crying that night. But about what? The visit had been nice, and Ash had surely bonded with the two guardians. Maybe the death of Latios had taken its toll on Ash.

"It's just something I have to do. I left with a promise to return." Ash admitted, trying to find their ship.

_'What promise is Ash talking about?'_ Brock wondered, not remembering that any promise was given by Ash. Finding their ship, after a rather long walk, they showed their tickets and were allowed to board the ship.

"So, how long is it going to take until we arrive in Altomare?" Dawn asked, happily running along the ship, while Ash and Brock decided to take a more relaxed approach.

"It shouldn't take that long, considering this ship is supposedly quite fast. Also, the route from to Altomare is rather straightforward, not very far away once we pass Hoenn." Brock answered, his ticket having the travel time on it, approximately one day.

"Let's find our rooms, I managed to get two rooms, with a door between them." Ash stated, glancing at his ticket before heading up the closest set of stairs.

"I need to call my mom!" Dawn suddenly exclaimed, worry written over her face as she ran off to find a phone.

"How about we settle down and wait for Dawn to return?" Brock suggested, opening the door to their room and putting down the bag on one of the two available beds. Putting the bag next to his bed, Ash let himself fall backwards and just enjoying the moment, "So, what exactly is this about?"

"Do you remember this?" Ash wondered, pulling something out of his bag and handing it to Brock, "That's the picture I was given before we left Altomare."

"I think it's nearly impossible to forget that moment," Brock declared, looking at the picture, handing it back while watching how carefully Ash handled it. It was clear how much he cared for the picture alone, not to speak of the one who gave it to him, "You said something about a promise, one that I have never been aware of."

"You remember right before we left that I was given this picture, right? I promised her to come back." Ash explained, the promise clearly etched into his mind. He knew how broken she had been, but back then he prioritized himself so much higher.

"And you are sure that it was Latias?" Brock wanted to make sure that his suspicions were correct. They had discussed it quite heavily afterwards, with Ash being the only one believing it was Latias.

"Yes." Ash responded, confidence seeping out of that statement. Brock couldn't believe it, and that he didn't see it back then already, but Ash was most likely smitten with the red dragoness without actually being aware of it.

"Maybe you can boast with that you won the Lily of the Valley Conference." Brock joked, Ash chuckling a little at this, but was unable to before Dawn bursted through the door.

"There's a sort of tournament going on the upper deck!" Dawn stated, quickly catching the attention of Ash.

"A tournament huh? You up for it, Pikachu?" Ash asked his best friend, earning an excited 'pika', not wasting any time to find its location.

"A battle is still a battle it seems like." Brock said, shaking his head lightly, deciding that he couldn't leave Ash on his own, while Dawn simply tagged along.

* * *

"Finish it with Thunder!" one of the current trainers that was battling shouted, his Jolteon not hesitating to comply. Bathing in electricity, the Jolteon unleashed Thunder upon his opponent, an Absol. Covered in smoke, the result was not hard to guess. Absol had fainted and was now recalled by its trainer, "Who's up next?!"

"I am!" Ash called, Pikachu perched on his shoulder and his cheeks sparking. Walking up a small set of stairs, Ash found himself on one side of the battlefield, a boy around his age standing on the other side.

"The name's Jack, and I'm currently unbeaten on this ship." Jack introduced himself, clearly confident in himself.

"I'm Ash Ketchum." Ash responded, not bothering to mention his his victory in the Sinnoh League. Whispering something in Pikachu's ear, Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder, placing himself opposite of Jack's Jolteon.

"The rules are simple, it's a 1 on 1 battle and it's over as soon as one of our Pokemon is unable to battle, or if one of us surrenders," Jack continued, taking a small step back, Ash mirroring his movement. Seeing that Ash was ready, Jack quickly opened the battle, "Jolteon, Quick Attack!"

"Pikachu, use Double Team then Iron Tail!" Ash countered, Pikachu disappearing for a split second, replaced by a dozen Pikachus. Dashing through one of the clones, neither trainer nor Pokemon saw Pikachu coming down from above and hitting Jolteon with his Iron Tail.

"Use a Double Team of your own!" Jack called, Jolteon repeating what Pikachu had just done a moment ago and disappearing, reappearing and surrounding Pikachu. Having had Pikachu use Double Team so many times, Ash had gotten the chance to study the move a plethora of times, in case that someone ever would try something similar, and in the process learnt the finer details on how to spot out the real Pokemon.

"Go for Iron Tail again!" Ash quickly shouted, using the advantage of Jack not knowing that he knew which the real one was. Seeing that Pikachu didn't go for one of the clones, Jack could only grit his teeth.

"Intercept with Thunder Fang!" Jack tried, hoping his Jolteon was stronger when it came to brute force. After all, both Pokemon relied more on speed and power than anything else. Managing to catch Pikachu's empowered tail between his fangs, it became clear that neither Pokemon would yield and would continue until one of them gave up.

"Throw him!" Ash suddenly ordered, to Jack's and mostly Pikachu's surprise, but Pikachu didn't hesitate to comply with his trainer's command. Gathering all his strength, Pikachu managed to lift up Jolteon slightly in the air, before slamming him back down on the ground. Yelping from the impact, Ash took his chance to strike, "One more Iron Tail!"

"Jolteon, dodge it!" Jack barked, having no plans on losing his spot as the best trainer on the ship. Rolling to the side, Jolteon barely avoided Pikachu's Iron Tail which struck right next to him.

"Electro Ball!" Ash continued, not slowing down while he already was in control.

"Quick Attack followed by Thunder Fang!" Jack countered, Jolteon shooting forwards and dodging the incoming Electro Ball and trying to connect his fangs with Pikachu. Actually hitting Pikachu, a grunt came from the yellow rodent, eventually escaping Jolteon's grasp.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted, Pikachu recovering from Jolteon's attack and unleashing the powerful bolt. Unable to dodge the attack, Jolteon howled in pain even though electricity was something it was used to, "Let's finish this! Volt Tackle!"

"Get out of there!" Jack desperately called, Jolteon simply too tried to evade the attack. Chanting the same thing over and over again, Pikachu eventually disappeared completely and was simply a yellow mass of electricity heading straight for that battered and bruised Jolteon. Jumping a little, Pikachu dashed forward and connected with Jolteon, resulting in electricity and sparks flying in all directions, followed by a minor explosion which covered both Pokemon.

"Good job!" Ash praised Pikachu, who after some recovering from using Volt Tackle happily took his place on Ash's shoulder again. Scratching Pikachu behind his ear, Ash watched as Jack spoke to his Jolteon and petted it lightly before recalling it.

"That was a great battle, Ash." Jack said, walking over to Ash and holding out his hand which Ash shook.

"You weren't that bad either," Ash responded smiling, "Especially considering that you went up against the winner of The Lily of the Valley Conference."

"I thought I somehow recognized you," Jack admitted, shaking his head and turning around, walking down the small set of stairs. "I hope that we eventually meet again Ash Ketchum. I expect you to be ready to lose then."

"We'll see about that!" Ash shot back, Jack leaving the upper deck with a wave of his hand. Turning around, Ash walked down the set of stairs and was greeted by his two friends, both congratulating him on his victory.

"Not bad at all. I remember you told be about last time you had a battle after a bigger win." Brock said, referring to Ash's battle with Gary after having beaten Brandon and his Regice.

"Don't mention that one, that just was just me not even thinking." Ash glared, that battle being one of his more disappointing ones, considering he had just beaten the Battle Frontier. But it was also one of his biggest victory, finally opening his eyes. If that battle never had taken place it would be questionable if he would have actually won the Sinnoh League.

"So, what do we do now? The day's not over yet." Dawn chimed in, looking like she stay up for another few hours. A few years ago Ash would have been that restless as well, but with Sinnoh came a new maturity, one that even impressed Brock.

"How about we relax and enjoy the nice weather and then looking for something to eat?" Brock suggested, an idea that both Ash and Dawn approved of. Having already left the part of the upper deck where the battlefield was, the three friends walked around the ship until they found a set of table with chairs and parasols, a perfect place to enjoy the late afternoon. Sitting down, they all released their Pokemon who immediately went off to do different things. Sceptile and Croagunk found a spot, truly defining the word relaxation where as Charizard took off to the skies. Many of their smaller Pokemon, Pikachu and Piplup included went off to play, leaving their trainers alone.

"I can't actually believe we're going back to Altomare. How long has it been? Three years?" Ash wondered, Dawn simply listening to what Ash and Brock were saying.

"Something around that. At least this time the circumstances will hopefully be better." Brock responded, the events taking place in Altomare clear in their, both the good and the bad ones. For Ash, the Tour de Altomare, the time they spent in the garden and when they were about to leave stood out for him the most as the good memories. One of the toughest battles in his life had resulted in one of his most treasured memories to be remembered. He could never have wished for a better battle, the results not even mattering to him. The only important thing was that he remembered his promise to Latias.

"Are we going to stay there for a week or less?" Dawn asked, more and more wanting to see Altomare with how much Ash and Brock talked about the city.

"Seems reasonable." Brock said, Ash nodding in agreement and looking at the ocean. He just wished that time could fly by faster so he could be in Altomare already. He really wanted to see the red dragoness again, and spend as much time as possible with her, to make up for all the time in which he didn't keep the promise.

"You really need to show me around, because Altomare really sounds interesting from everything I've heard from you." Dawn demanded, also wishing for time to go faster so they would reach Altomare, even though for a different reason than Ash.

* * *

The hours had flown by, time passed by talking about everything they had experienced in Sinnoh, and Ash and Brock telling Dawn of some of their earlier experiences in the different regions. Enjoying the last sun rays, everything was quiet, all of the Pokemon recalled or just lying on the floor next to their trainers. Silence surrounded them, a content smile on each of their faces and eyes closed, enjoying the moment. Until Ash's stomach showed signs of life, as usual.

"Looks like it's time for dinner." Ash declared, standing up and stretching. Recalling all of his remaining Pokemon except Pikachu, Ash waited as Brock and Dawn did the same, eventually heading inside the ship and for the cafeteria. Walking for a few minutes, the entrance of the cafeteria soon came into their sight. Entering it, they took a plate each and went around, looking through the different options available to them, finding a table at one of the many windows and taking a seat.

"Just relaxing feels good, the last weeks have been hectic." Brock voiced, Ash and Dawn agreeing. The weeks surrounding the conference had been hectic, a lot of training having to be done, and multiple close calls during the entire tournament. The final had been heartbreaking multiple times, Ash's Pokemon barely losing a battle. But in the end, only one thing mattered. Ash had won.

"Hey Ash, do you remember our first battle?" Brock asked, a small smirk on his lips, Ash's expression being the opposite.

"Kanto was a complete failure when it came to gym battles." Ash admitted, knowing he pretty much didn't earn a single badge through winning a battle and if he did, it had hardly anything to do with his skill as a trainer.

"Also, shouldn't you maybe call your mother? You know how she can be sometimes." Brock added, Ash instantly pushing his chair back.

"I will back in a moment."

* * *

"Mom, it it just something I have to do." Ash tried, his mother being rather upset that he had first called now, and wasn't going to return for another week.

"If you say so," his mother responded, a smile gracing her face, "Just so you know, I'm so proud of you, winning the Sinnoh League."

"Thanks mom. I will be calling you once I'm in Altomare, alright?" Ash finished, deciding that this call didn't need to be dragged out. Yes, he loved his mother, but sometimes talking to her could be rather annoying, especially concerning certain topics.

"I'll take your word for it. Greet Brock and Dawn from, will you? I love you sweetie." Ash's mother said, knowing that Ash was in good hands.

"I love you too, mom." Click. The screen went dark again, and Ash placed the phone back in its place. Sometimes, having these conversations with his mother was hard. Ash knew that his mother would prefer having him at home then him going to Altomare. Continuing to muse over this, Ash headed back to his friends, which he had left as Brock had pointed out that he should call his mother.

"How did it go?" Brock asked as soon as Ash approached their table. Smiling slightly, Ash shook his head.

"You know how it goes, so I suppose as usual." Ash answered, taking his seat again. Watching friends, they sat just there in silence before Dawn spoke up.

"Let's head back to our rooms, maybe there's something interesting on tv," Dawn said, Ash and Brock following her. Reaching their rooms, Dawn stood in front of her door while they stood in front of their door, "Goodnight you two."

"Goodnight Dawn." Ash and Brock said in unison, smiling, heading into their room. Plopping down on the couch, Brock took the remote and started looking through the different channels available, Ash only watching half-heartedly.

"What a great day." Ash thought out loud, Brock grinning at the statement.

"Sure has been a great day. You don't know how proud I am that you won the Lily of the Valley Conference, especially against an opponent like Tobias." Brock explained, never having been more proud, and more impressed by Ash's skill and determination as a trainer.

"What do you think, Pikachu?" Brock wondered, Pikachu lazily lying at the foot of Ash's bed. Opening his eyes, Pikachu looked at his trainer and Brock, deciding if he should answer that question or not.

"Pi, pika." Pikachu answered, something that could be understood as a 'yes, but it was a pain in the ass'. Ash laughed at Pikachu's response. Brock had to a degree learnt to understand Pikachu, trying to remember some of Pikachu's more simple expressions. Obviously, Ash understood him far better than Brock did, but Brock had picked up a few things, like Ash's name, yes and no, good and bad and some other simple things.

"Are you excited to be back in Altomare?" Brock asked suddenly, catching Ash off-guard a little. Sure, he was excited to be there but with Brock he surely didn't refer to that exactly.

"Yes, I missed the city, and her of course," Ash responded, knowing that Brock knew who he was talking about, "Seeing Bianca and Lorenzo will also be nice."

"Yeah, it feels like forever but it has only been a few years." Brock added, it only having been three years but feeling a lot longer. They had seen so much since then, and now Ash had won his first league.

_"Today the new Sinnoh League Champion has been crowned, Ash Ketchum. But currently his whereabouts are unknown. It seems like he is not longer on the island, and we will soon be talking to our Champion, Cynthia."_

"Maybe I should have said something, at least to someone so they knew what was going on." Ash commented, the news obviously showing that many were surprised that he had simply disappeared, considering this was his first league victory and such.

"Would have been a good idea, but it's too late to change that now. At least you avoid the trouble of having talk to the reporters and tv." Brock said, knowing very well how they could be.

"I'm going to take a shower." Ash said, leaving Brock alone on the couch.

"Fine with me. Also I guess it is time to sleep anyway. Especially if we want to get something done tomorrow."

* * *

"Maybe I should start selling your pictures as well. They would probably sell really well, considering your style isn't that different from mine." a brown haired girl said, wearing a white beret, a simple green short sleeved shirt and a white shirt. Sitting next to her was a girl, who many would simply say was her twin.

'Come on Bianca, you know I only draw them for fun, and nothing else.' the other girl responded, her golden eyes shining and her hair was flowing with the wind.

"Can't you just let me sell one? They are all so amazing, Latias." Bianca begged, Latias managing to find the most incredible things to draw while flying around the city, before returning back to the garden and drawing them.

'Alright, but only one and you will never ask me again, alright?' Latias finally gave in, not wanting to hear Bianca ask her that every single time she showed her one of her new pictures.

"Fine," Bianca ceded, not wanting to push her luck, "Hey, how about we go the docks tomorrow and see if we can find anything interesting to draw? I heard there's a big ship from Sinnoh coming."

'Sure, maybe we can spot something fun to draw.' Latias said, always liking to watch all the different people interact.

"Talking about Sinnoh, I saw in the TV that Ash had won the Sinnoh League." Bianca continued, knowing very well that reaction she would get from Latias.

'He did what?!' Latias exclaimed surprised, 'Why didn't you tell me?!'

"I forgot?" Bianca tried, knowing it wasn't going to work very well. But Bianca knew what would have happened if she had told Latias. She would be super happy to see Ash battle, but then it would dawn on her how slim her chances were to ever meet him again.

'But he promised he could come back.' Latias whispered, Bianca not sure if she was meant to hear that.

"Come on, it's time to sleep. Tomorrow we will paint some wonderful pictures, okay?" Bianca assured her, hoping to lighten up her mood again, at least a little.

'Okay,' Latias responded, Bianca slowly heading for the exit of the garden, 'Goodnight Bianca.'

"Goodnight Latias." Bianca called back, turning around and giving Latias one last smile before leaving. Transforming back into her real form, Latias slowly flew up to one of her favorites spots in the garden. Landing on one of the bigger branches of the massive tree, Latias couldn't stop tiredness from overcoming her. Maybe tomorrow would be a good day for once. Latias hoped at least that it would be so.

* * *

**I will try to update weekly, but take it with a grain of salt. Considering Chapter 2 is already complete you can expect me to post it in a few days. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**It help already having written the second chapter if you want to get it out fast, which I did. It's a little shorter than last one, but I had a good point to finish it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer. I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

"Hurry up, the ship will be arriving any moment now!" Bianca called, fully aware that her friend had heard her. After meeting up in the garden, a little late though, courtesy of herself, they were quickly heading towards the port, Latias getting distracted a little too many times on their way there. "I can see it already!"

'I'm coming! But if you had been there in time, this would not be a problem.' Latias shot back, slightly annoyed at her friend.

"Come on, it was only by a few minutes. It wouldn't have even mattered if you hadn't been distracted on your way here. So don't you put all the blame on me." Bianca argued, not giving in the least.

'So now it's my fault?'

"Whatever, get ready to draw something instead," Bianca silenced her, a pencil in her hand as she carefully looked out at the ship docking. Standing a little higher, Bianca, and Latias, could see everything happening below them. "Hey, it's not every day you see a trainer with a Pikachu on his shoulder."

Hearing those words, Latias' head moved like it never had before. 'He's back!'

* * *

"_Good morning. We will be docking in Altomare in less than five minutes. I, and the entire crew, thank you for travelling with us and hope to see you again. Have a nice day._"

The morning had passed without incident, except that Pikachu decided that he needed an entire bottle of ketchup, and now Ash, Brock and Dawn were watching as the city of Altomare got closer and closer.

"It's so beautiful!" Dawn exclaimed, leaning over the railing and staring at city as it got closer and closer.

"It sure is." Ash responded smiling, the city already having impressed him the first time he went there. Seeing it in its full beauty was something otherworldly, the sun lighting up the entire city in a way that many people couldn't describe.

"You will have to show me everything as soon we get to our hotel rooms."

"Give Ash a break. How about we first settle down before we show you some of the many things?" Brock came to Ash's rescue, remembering something. "If I remember correct the Tour de Altomare is sometimes this week. Wouldn't that be something for you two?"

"This time I'm going to win though, last time I ran out of luck," Ash joked, Brock laughing along with him. That had been one of the more interesting moments during their stay. "It wouldn't surprise if I ran out of luck again though."

"If anyone is going to here, it's going to be and Piplup." Dawn chimed in confident, Piplup cradled in her arms. A minute later and the passengers were flowing of the ship, spreading out and giving the friends some space.

"It's good to be back. This will be an, hopefully, enjoyable stay. Right buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu, nuzzling Ash's cheek before looking around like all of them were. "Hey, isn't that-"

'You're back!' a rather feminine voice shouted, if it could be called that, and nearly tackled him to the ground. Ash couldn't be more happy that he had at least done some exercise, else he would now be on the ground with a girl on top of him. Having escaped, Pikachu carefully looked up at his trainer from his new spot, and carefully looked at the girl who was hugging Ash. Being a Pokemon, Pikachu didn't only rely on what he saw when it came to something like this, but also his smell. While his trainer probably had an idea who it was, Pikachu knew instantly.

"Who is that?" Dawn asked, not sure what to think at that moment, noticing that another girl was running towards them, nearly looking identical to the one who was hugging Ash, except her hair was a lot shorter.

"I'm not sure, but I guess we will find out eventually." Brock responded, shaking his head at the scene in front of him. He had expected it, but maybe not exactly like this. He knew how much Ash had been liked by their friends here, especially by Latias, but this was something completely different.

"Hey, everything's alright." Ash assured Latias, Bianca standing not too far away watching, in a similar way to Brock, as the scene unfolded in front of Brock. It wasn't something you saw everyday.

'Do you know how much I missed you?' Latias started, her head now on Ash's chest as she nearly started crying. 'Do you know how often I wondered if you would keep your promise?'

"I know that I should have come back such a long time ago, and I don't know in what way I can make it up to you," Ash had already an idea where this would be going, but he would gladly do it for Latias. "I'll do anything you want."

'Anything I want?'

"Anything you want." Ash knew what would come, and he was not sure if this was the best way of doing it. Looking at him with big eyes, Latias didn't hesitate and grabbed Ash's hand before pulling him along.

"Hey, we better follow them!" Dawn said, following Ash and Latias with her eyes, ready to go after them, but Brock put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let them be, I am pretty sure I know where they went so we'll catch up with them anyway." Brock stopped her, nodding in the direction of Bianca. "Let's talk to her instead. Hey Bianca!"

"Hey there Brock," Bianca greeted back, having stood back for a while, now walking over to them with a big smile on her face. "I really didn't expect to see you here, or Ash for that matter."

"Well, I didn't expect to be here either until yesterday." Brock joked, thinking back to how they had planned to stay another day after Ash's victory and then heading back to Twinleaf Town and back to Kanto from there.

"It doesn't matter, it's great that you're here," Bianca stated, beckoning them to follow her. Leading them away from the port and into the city, Bianca couldn't let them be on their own anymore. "How about you stay with me and grandpa? He surely won't mind you staying with us, and I can't let you live in one of those overly expensive hotels."

"We'll take you up on that offer," Brock thanked her smiling, seeing that Ash had dropped his bag, so she picked it up. "Before I forget, this is Dawn, a friend of mine and Ash from Sinnoh."

"It's nice to you Dawn, I'm Bianca. Now, let's head over to the house so you can drop off your things, then we can go looking for Ash, and see where he got dragged of to."

* * *

"Latias, give me my hat back!" Ash shouted, chasing a giggling Latias who had managed to snag his hat, once again. Pikachu was just sitting on the ground, watching Ash chase Latias. He remembered last time they were, and it hadn't been any different really.

'What if I don't want to?' Latias wondered, her giggling continuing, waiting for Ash to nearly catch, before speeding off again. 'I think it suits me better anyway.'

"I know that it suits me well, so give it back." It was a fact, because how silly wouldn't Latias look with his hat on? Wanting to prove him wrong, Latias stopped flying and threw the hat up in the air, letting it land on her head. Turning around, she ended up facing up facing Ash who stopped dead in his tracks at the sight.

'So, how do I look?' Ash didn't know what to say. He had expected her to look rather silly with his hat, but she actually looked really cute with it, a thought Ash didn't have very often.

"You look great."

'Really?'

"Really." Ash responded, looking away a little to hide his blush. Deciding that they had played enough, Ash simply sat down on the spot, Pikachu joining his trainer as usual, took his place on Ash's shoulder.

'Aww, are we done already?' Latias whined, looking at Ash with her big eyes, hoping to convince him to continue playing with her. It was hard to resist, but in the end Ash didn't give in to Latias' big eyes. Patting on the ground next to him, Latias didn't have to think if she wanted sit next to Ash or not. Transforming, clearly the more practical form for this, Latias leaned onto Ash and rested her head on his shoulder, forcing another blush from the trainer and a gulp. He had rarely been this close to a girl, and on those rare occasions it hadn't really been an option on his side. That his heart was beating heavily wasn't helping his cause, and he slowly put his arms around Latias.

'_Why am I feeling this? I know that I missed her, and I didn't have a problem with being close to her last time, so why now? Should I maybe say something, or should I just let her be? She looks rather serene, and cute, right now.' _Ash wondered, stopping slightly at the word cute. Did he really think Latias was cute? Sure, his hat didn't look bad on her.

"Ash!" Dawn called, the voice easily recognizable, and soon she could be seen, Brock and Bianca behind her. Seeing the girl again, Dawn really wanted to know who she was, and why she looked identical to Bianca. "Maybe you can tell me now who she is."

'I'm Latias.' Latias simply said, not hesitating to tell who she is. If she was a friend of Ash she knew she could trust them.

"Isn't- isn't Latias a Pokemon?" Dawn asked, surprised that a human would be named after a Pokemon.

"So far I know, yes." Ash added smiling, knowing that Dawn didn't understand who, or what, Latias really was yet.

"Wait, you mean to me tell that _she _is a Pokemon?" Dawn couldn't believe it, a golden glow surrounding 'Latias' who slowly changed form into what she knew was a Pokemon. "Wow."

"I know right? It's rather amazing." Brock stated, carefully watching how Ash interacted with Latias. He could clearly see that they were close, but that wasn't a difference from last time, they were already close back then. Slowly walking over to Latias, Dawn could only starting to stroke her in amazement. She had seen her share of legendaries together with Ash, but never a Pokemon that could transform into a human girl. Cooing into her touch, Latias pushed her head further into Dawn's hand, enjoying the feeling. In the end she was Pokemon, so she would always enjoy something like this, even though she was quite a bit human.

"We actually came to fetch you for dinner, if you got the time for it." Bianca spoke up, everyone looking at her. Smiling a little sheepishly, Ash had completely forgotten about time and wouldn't have noticed until his stomach would have said something eventually. "Let's go then. Grandpa should be done by now."

"Sounds great." Ash said, his stomach finally making itself known, something that everyone could laugh about, especially Latias, who nudged him from behind towards the exit.

* * *

"It has been a long time since we've had guests. Since last time you were here nothing big has happened, so this will be a nice change," Lorenzo told them, sitting at one end of the table, Bianca sitting on the other end and the rest of them in between. "While it is quite a bit of work, I also have to say it was enjoyable to having prepare this feast.

"This wasn't really not necessary. We would have been more than content if you would just have allowed us to stay here." Brock responded, speaking on behalf of Ash and Dawn as well. Originally they had planned to stay in one of the hotels, but after some convincing, there was simply no way for them to not take up Bianca's offer to stay with them.

"It's no problem at all," Bianca assured him, smiling at the thought that they could see themselves as a burden, "We're more than happy to have you here, and take care of you. It's the least we could for you helping our city."

"Now, how about you tell us about your victory at the Lily of the Valley Conference? We managed to watch it, but Latias sadly missed it. And who better to tell her about it than you?" Lorenzo wondered, Latias clearly excited at the prospect of Ash telling her.

"It wasn't anything special really," Ash started, scratching his head. "In the end Pikachu pulled through and secured me the win."

"Oh, don't come with that. We all know that it was more than special." Dawn said, enjoying the food a lot. She had to admit that it was rather unique, but far from bad. Watching Ash eat was something special as always, and Brock and Dawn could only shake their heads at their friend's display while Latias, Bianca and Lorenzo were just staring at him.

"Does he always eat like that?" Bianca whispered to Dawn, receiving a simple 'yes' in response. Only listening half to Ash's retelling, Dawn was more interested in Latias, watching her closely, and how she clearly was more than just interested in what Ash was saying. For a moment, Dawn's attention wasn't on Latias, or Ash, and she listened to something Brock and Bianca were saying. As she returned her attention to Ash, she saw that he was missing. Looking for Latias, Dawn noticed that she wasn't there as well.

"Hey, did anyone notice where Ash and Latias went?" Dawn asked, looking around the table.

"They probably went back to the garden, and you should leave them alone," Bianca told her, shaking her head as Dawn was about to leave. "Give them some space Dawn. You can fetch them later if you really want, but wait until tomorrow if there's anything else."

* * *

"It's just nice to finally relax, after a year of travelling and non-stop battling." Ash admitted chuckling, leaning against one of the many trees in the garden. Latias, in her true form, softly rested her head on Ash's lap, Pikachu giving her some space and sitting on Ash's shoulder.

'I can understand that.' Latias sympathized, glancing at Ash, who rested his against tree with his eyes closed, his breath relaxed and calm.

"So, what are we going to do tomorrow?" Ash didn't really had any plans for his visit, except seeing Latias again. "I had hoped that you, or Bianca, had planned something."

'I don't know, I think Bianca said something about exploring the city.' Latias responded, Ash petting her head, cooing at the same time.

"Hey, do you think I could participate in the Tour De Altomare?" Ash wondered, thinking back to how it went last time. Not exactly as he had planned, but it had been fun non the less.

'Sure!' Latias was excited, this time Ash wouldn't get any help from, unless he needed it.

"Well, now I just have to decide who I want to use," Ash pondered, Floatzel being one of his options, Corpish another. Maybe he should give Totodile another chance, considering it wasn't his fault that they lost last time they were in Altomare. "How about you choose who I should use? We can go to the Pokemon Center and then I can let you meet everyone and you could decide."

'No. You're the one racing, so it should you be, and your Pokemon, who should decide.' Latias assured him, pushing her head into Ash's hand as a sign that he shouldn't stop petting her.

"What more could we do tomorrow?" Ash wondered, staring at the clear sky, the sun slowly disappearing behind the horizon. "Just walking around the city won't cut it for an entire day."

'Dawn would sure have no problem with it, even though she seems also like a rather restless person,' Latias admitted, slowly lifting her head from Ash's lap. 'Hey Ash.'

"Hmm?" Ash barely answered, his mind already far away.

'I missed you, and it's so great to have you back.' Latias said, Ash now looking straight into her eyes.

"I missed you too Latias, more than you can imagine. Now, how about we turn in for today? I want to be up early tomorrow so I don't miss the race," Ash responded smiling, giving Latias a quick hug before standing up. "Goodnight Latias."

'Goodnight Ash.'

* * *

"Hey Brock, could I ask you something?" Ash inquired, leaning against the doorway between their room and the balcony, Brock standing outside and enjoying the cool air.

"Sure, but don't you think Pikachu can help you more?"

"Not with this Brock, and I don't even know if you're the best person to ask." Ash shook his head. While Brock never had success, he seemed far more knowledgable than anyone he had ever met on the topic.

"So, what is it about? I could most likely guess, but I want you to tell me." Brock was quite confident in what Ash was going to ask, and a topic that he had hoped to avoid for a while longer. After today, Brock knew what could possibly happen. He knew the consequences, and was one of many supporters to fully remove laws concerning it.

"How do you know if you truly love someone with all of your heart, and not just that you have a simple crush or something like that?"

"That's a hard one. But I think I have an answer for you. It's something you just know, and it will become clear as day and night under certain circumstances. You will know it, and hopefully if your object of affection feels the same," Brock answered, not directly telling how Ash would know. It was something he could, and would, more than likely find out. Than came the problem of how the rest of the world would handle it, especially with Ash being the Sinnoh League Champion. "You should sleep over it, maybe you already know your answer by tomorrow."

"Thanks Brock." Ash didn't know why he ever doubted Brock. He had personally never seen him succeed, but he never gave up. Maybe he would know tomorrow, maybe not.

"No problem Ash. Now let's head to bed, Dawn should be finished by now."

"You think so? Doesn't it usually take longer?" Ash didn't believe that Dawn could actually be done already, considering she often took twice as much time.

"Just take my word on it Ash, she will be finished."

* * *

"Hello there Latias." Lorenzo greeted her, Latias slowly opening her eyes and looking down at Lorenzo from her spot on the branch.

'Oh hey Lorenzo,' Latias softly greeted him back, flying down from the branch, and hovering next to Lorenzo. 'What are you doing out here, this late?'

"I thought we could talk a little, seeing that you have been, and will be, rather busy," Lorenzo explained, walking over to the bench and sitting down on it. Even though it was already dark, there was only a light breeze, thanks to it being summer. Transforming into her human form, Latias sat down on the bench, staring at the stars together with Lorenzo. "How do you feel about Ash being back here in Altomare?"

Latias didn't really know how to respond, but the question was simple. 'I feel amazing. I haven't felt like this since last time he was here.'

"That is good to hear. Bianca and I were worried that you would never return to your old self. But, seeing you like this washes away all my doubts," Lorenzo said smiling, his expression slowly turning serious. "There's another reason why I am here. There's something we have to talk about."

Noticing the serious expression on Lorenzo's face, Latias knew that it was something important, Lorenzo rarely looking this serious. 'What is it about?'

Changing his mind, Lorenzo knew that this was something he could still talk to Latias later about, so he changed the direction. "Tell me, how do you feel about Ash?"

'How I feel about Ash?' Latias wondered, her hair gently flowing with the wind. Maybe she should cut it, or simply imagine how she wanted it to be, so she would look like Bianca again. 'He's a great friend-'

"That's not what I meant Latias, and you know it."

'I like him, more than you could possibly imagine.' Latias told Lorenzo, her heart beating faster as she was thinking about Ash.

"I can imagine, and just so you know, you have my full support if that is your decision. I could care less about that stupid law."

'What decision?' Latias asked, before it dawned on her and her face turned dark red and she had to turn away from Lorenzo. 'You know what I think about that! I just need to tell him, eventually.'

"It's up to you Latias, and I will support you no matter what you choose. But keep in mind, Ash won't stay here forever. He's not someone who can be bound to one place for a longer time, not yet at least."

'I know, but I don't know if I can tell him already.'

"Don't worry about it, you will know when the time has come," Lorenzo said, standing up and glancing at his watch. "It's time for the old man to turn in for today. Goodnight Latias."

'Goodnight Lorenzo.'

* * *

**I don't know, but has the actual focal point of this story being brought across yet? I hope it has, and if not it will definitely be next chapter. Concerning chapter length, this will be be the minimum and chapters will trend towards 4000 words, around 5000 if I feel like it and I'm doing well. Next chapter will be up at latest by next Sunday, possibly earlier, but no promises. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm surprised I actually am done so fast with this. Not that I'm complaining when school calms down a little for two weeks. Not that long of a chapter, but I think some of the content makes up for it. Enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

Why wasn't he waking up? Latias was trying with all her might, besides hurting him, to get Ash to finally wake up, but to no avail. Everyone was up, even Pikachu, but the trainer from Pallet Town insisted on not waking up.

'Hey Pikachu, what do you usually do to wake him up?' Latias inquired, Pikachu giving her a small before his cheeks began to spark. 'Is that really necessary?'

"Pika, pipika Pikapi." Pikachu explained, Latias nodding in understandment at Pikachu's explanation about how he always shocks Ash, only lightly though. Pikachu didn't bother to mention that he more often than not didn't really hold back when shocking his beloved trainer.

'Isn't there another option?' Latias tried, not really wanting to see Ash get electrocuted, even if Pikachu had assured her that he would be fine. 'Hey, I think you can head down to the others, I think I know how to wake him up.'

"Pikapi, ka pika?" Pikachu asked, Latias shooing him out of the room before she turned her attention back to Ash.

'Here goes nothing.' Latias thought, slowly lowering herself closer to the ground, nudging Ash a few times. Closing the gap, Latias gave Ash a quick peck, instantly pulling away, a heavy blush on her face as she waited for Ash to wake up. Stirring, Latias froze as she didn't know what to after she had kissed Ash. Thinking of transforming, Latias didn't get the chance as Ash opened his eyes and looked straight at her.

"Good morning Latias." Ash greeted her smiling, accompanied by a yawn. Rubbing his eyes, Ash sat up and looked around in the room, not seeing anyone except Latias with him.

'Good morning Ash.' Latias greeted him, tackling him back onto his head, as he had just left it, and nuzzled Ash happily who hugged her back.

"So, where is everyone?" Ash asked, Latias moving away a little so Ash could stand up and followed him around as he picked up his clothes and headed for the bathroom on the other side of the hallway. "You're not going to get in here."

'Everyone's downstairs already.' Latias answered, ignoring Ash's last remark, waiting as the trainer closed the door and most likely changed. Had she actually wanted to be with Ash in there? Transforming into her human form, Latias wondered if Ash liked her more in this form or her true form. Maybe she could ask him later, if she dared to and didn't chicken out of it. Opening the door, Latias quickly followed Ash down the stairs and into the kitchen where everyone was already sitting at the table, the Pokemon having their own corner where they were eating. Taking a chair, Ash quickly filled up his plate, eventually noticing that Latias standing in the doorway, looking like she didn't know if she should sit or not.

"Hey, what's up?" Ash asked softly, not really understanding what was different from before when she had been rather happy. Smiling at her, Ash stood up and took her hand. Looking down at her hand, Latias's cheeks turned deep red as she looked away so Ash wouldn't see her blush. Leading her over to the table, Ash didn't notice how everyone was grinning, except Dawn, and how he patiently waited for Latias to sit before he followed suit. Taking her plate, Ash filled it with everything he thought that Latias would like, quickly brushing his hand against her's as he handed her the plate, returning his attention to his own plate. If he had looked at Latias, the rather dense trainer, not as dense as before, would have seen Latias's blush turn even darker and would have probably asked if she had been alright. Which would have most likely resulted in Latias fainting.

* * *

Having finished breakfast, the friends quickly headed outside and were ready to enjoy the day as much as possible. Slowly walking along the canals, Bianca walked at the front and acted as their guide. Enjoying this as much as Dawn, considering they hadn't really gotten the chance to do something like the first time, Ash with Pikachu on his shoulder and Latias walked closely behind Bianca while Brock and Dawn trailed after them. Dawn couldn't really say she liked how close Latias was to Ash, but if she hadn't known who Latias really was she wouldn't even react like this.

"So, how exactly did the Tour become famous?" Dawn couldn't stand how all of Ash's attention was on Latias. Had he forgotten about them, her, already? Not being able to hear what Latias was saying, Dawn really didn't know what to do. Since they had gotten here, all of Ash's attention had been on Latias.

_'Doesn't he understand what he is doing? It's just wrong being this close to a Pokemon in such a way!'_ Dawn thought, fuming on the inside while trying to look cheery on the outside. _'How comes that no one cares about it? Brock looks more and more happy each time he sees them together!'_

Blissfully unaware of what Dawn was thinking, Ash and Latias continued talking about different things concerning the city. 'Have you decided who you will use yet?'

"I think I'm going with Totodile. He deserves another chance." the raven haired trainer responded, taking off his hat and moving his hand through his hair before putting it back on. Suddenly, he felt something touch his hand, and as he looked down he managed to see that it was Latias' hand, who quickly pulled it back as she saw that Ash had noticed. Smiling at her, a smile Latias found more than enjoyable to see, Ash hesitated slightly as he took hold of Latias' hand. Stiffening slightly, Latias slowly relaxed and reciprocated the gesture. Both found that their hearts beat a little faster, but soon returned back to normal, smiles adorning both trainer and Pokemon. Being ignored, Pikachu was more than content with watching his trainer and Latias interact. He knew that Ash's interest in girls had grown as he became older, but he never really showed any interest. Now it was the complete opposite, even though he probably was unaware of some of the things he was doing. Turning his attention to Latias, Pikachu that Latias was quite different from normal Pokemon. For the most part, Pokemon didn't really understand the concept of love, unless you belonged to a trainer. Even then, most Pokemon stayed true to their origins and preferred it more simple, as it had always been between Pokemon. But, Pikachu personally knew it, that love was not exclusive to humans. He knew that Latias was acting a lot more like a human than most Pokemon, but still had some traits left how Pokemon act.

"Pi, kachu pika." Pikachu called out to his trainer from his shoulder, Ash glancing up at him.

"You're hungry already? It wasn't that long ago since we had breakfast."

"Pikapi." Pikachu nearly begged, Ash finally giving in.

"Pikachu is hungry, somehow," Ash said, everyone shaking their heads at the mention of it. Pikachu was very much like his trainer in some aspects, especially when it came to food. "Do you know of any good place here, Bianca?"

Thinking through their options, Bianca decided on the best one. "Yeah, I know of a good place. It's only five minutes from here."

'Are we thinking about the same place?' Latias asked, Bianca nodding, knowing how much Latias liked it. Plus it was fitting for what she had in mind, nothing to big but something all of them would like.

"Come on, let's go." Bianca waved them along, leading them the many streets before they got out a bit further up the channel. After another minute, Ash spotted the place Bianca and Latias had been talking about. An ice parlor! Walking a little faster, they eventually reached the parlor and everyone ordered ice cream, different sorts of course. Ordering two cones, one for himself and one for Pikachu, they all took seat around one of the bigger tables while enjoying their ice cream and the wonderful weather.

Remembering something, Ash quickly stood up. "I'll be right back!"

"Any idea where he is going?" Dawn wondered, knowing that Ash was impulsive to a degree but this was just strange, even for him.

"I think I know where he's going, but we'll just have to wait and see if I'm right," Brock responded, a certain Pokemon crossing his mind as he spoke. "Hey Dawn, have you thought about participating in the Tour de Altomare?"

"Huh?" Dawn hadn't really thought about, but why not? It would probably be fun, and something new for her. "Sure, maybe I can even beat Ash and take first!"

"Now you just need to sign up, the race starts in an hour and you have you register ten minutes before that." Bianca explained, Dawn nodding in understandment as she called out Piplup and started talking to him about the race.

Spotting Ash, Latias nearly wanted to run over to him and greet him but decided against it. 'Hey, there's Ash!' Latias called,pointing at the raven haired teen as he was sprinting back to them. By the looks of it, he and Pikachu had finished their ice cream while doing, well whatever they were doing. And he was holding a pokeball in his hand. Arriving back at the table, everyone waited for Ash to catch his breath, after his run from the Pokemon Center.

"So, I guess that's the Pokemon you will be using for the tour?" Brock guessed, Ash releasing the energetic Pokemon from its confinement.

"Totodile!" Totodile exclaimed happily, as usual performing his dance before jumping onto Ash's lap.

"He's going to win me the race, hoping that it doesn't end up like last time!" Ash declared confident, Dawn laughing at that.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Ash, because me and Piplup plan on competing as well!" Dawn told him, Ash's grin growing bigger and bigger.

"At least I got some competition then." Ash said, his confidence not wavering at all.

_'This could be my chance to impress him!'_ Dawn thought, a smile on her face the entire time._ 'Maybe he will give me some attention then, and not only focus on Latias.'_

"And you think you stand a chance? Not going to happen!" Ash responded, Tototile clearly agreeing with his trainer.

Clearly not interested in Ash and Dawn bicker about who would win, Bianca quickly stepped in. "Enough! You can continue this during the race and simply see who will win instead of bickering the entire time."

"I'm surprised you actually managed to get them quiet. Usually when they bicker in can go on and on without any end in sight." Brock was surprised, normally he would have had a much harder time. Maybe they understood that they could just settle it during the race.

"If they wouldn't have stopped I would have other ways to get our Pallet Town hotshot here to shut up. Isn't that right, Latias?" Bianca winked at Latias, who in that moment was completely fixated on the table, while trying to ignore her blush.

"Hey, look at the clock!" Dawn exclaimed, everyone following hers eyes to the clock that hang on one of the many walls. "The race begins in less than forty minutes!"

"Then we should better head there, so you can sign up and prepare." Brock said, Bianca once again taking the lead as they walked through the many streets of Altomare. Dawn tried to talk with Ash, but much to her dismay she was stopped. Turning her head, she saw Brock shake his head, before he removed his hand from her shoulder and walked next to her. Her eyes narrowed at the sight in front of her. Latias was resting her head on Ash's shoulder and he had his arm around her waist. Didn't he really think about what he was doing, or did he just act that dense all along?

_'I'm just as beautiful as she is. I'm a coordinator, and I have been more successful than she is. I'm also funnier than her, so what Ash does see in her?'_ Dawn didn't know what to do anymore._ 'Winning this race seems like the only option to get his attention back. Back in Sinnoh he gave me so much more attention. Now it's only about Latias.'_

"There's the booth where you need to sign up." Bianca pointed out, the booth having a big sign saying 'Tour de Altomare'.

"You coming?" Ash asked, already on his way there until he noticed that Dawn wasn't following. Smiling, Dawn followed him and waited as he signed himself up for the race. Waiting for him to finish, Dawn walked up to the booth.

"May I please see the Pokemon you will be using for the race?" the man behind the desk asked, Dawn taking Piplup's pokeball from her belt and releasing her starter.

"Alright. May I please have your pokedex?" Handing over the pokedex, she watched as the man put it on a scanner before a signal of completion came from the it. "Here you go. You have position number 7. The race begins in 20 minutes, but you need to be ready 5 minutes early. Have fun!"

"Come on, let's check out the other participants!" Ash said, nodding in the direction of the start line, where quite a few trainers were, talking to their various Pokemon. Dawn could see a Swampert, Sharpedo, Corpish, Floatzel and even an Empoleon. As Piplup spotted the Empoleon from her head, she knew that Piplup was determined to beat his evolved form. "Those Pokemon all look like they are well taken care of, so this won't be easy."

"Has that ever stopped the all mighty Ash Ketchum?" Dawn joked, Ash laughing with her as they continued watching all the interactions between trainers and Pokemon around them.

"In the end it won't matter, because me and Totodile will win this." Ash stated confidently, having released Totodile, who as usual danced before turning serious at the prospect of racing, again.

"Piplup likes to disagree," Dawn said, her starter clearly looking it wanted to win. "I think I agree with Piplup. There's no way you and Totodile will win this when you are competing against us."

"We'll see about that."

"Attention to trainers participating in the Tour de Altomare! The race will begin in 10 minutes. Please start preparing yourself and head for your designated spot. Thank you."

"Did you hear that? Let's go!" Dawn dragged Ash along, their two Pokemon following them as fast as they could.

* * *

"Hey, I can see them!" Bianca pointed at their two friends, Brock, Pikachu and Latias trying to spot them.

"They look rather excited about competing here." Brock remarked, knowing how excited Ash had been the last time he was competing in the Tour de Altomare.

'But who are we going to cheer for?' Latias asked, not mentioning that she clearly wanted that the boy of her affections should win.

"Let's just cheer for both, we should favor neither of them over the other." Bianca declared, getting their attention back on the race as it was about to begin.

"Welcome viewers, to the annual Tour de Altomare!" one of the announcers shouted into a microphone. "The rules are simple. You're only allowed to use the Pokemon that you're racing with and are not allowed to use any other Pokemon or form of assistance."

The other announcer stepped up, giving a signal to the three Natus and the sole Xatu. "As soon as we're ready, our Pokemon here will start the countdown. The race only requires one lap to be completed! Now, let the fun begin!"

"Here they go!" Natu after Natu gave their signal, before the Xatu announced the start of the race, and all of the Pokemon in the water started swimming as fast as they possibly could.

'You can do it!' Latias shouted, knowing that Ash could clearly hear her, even through the other noise. Cheering along her was Pikachu, clearly favoring Ash as well. Bianca and Brock were a little less vocal, but still cheered both Ash and Dawn, not trying to biased in favor of either trainer.

"Pika pi Pikapi!" Pikachu cheered, something only Latias understood, and Ash would understand if he could hear him. Slowly disappearing from their view, they followed them until they couldn't continue further.

"Looks like we have to wait for them to come back." Brock said, the others nodding and patiently waiting for Ash and Dawn to finish the race.

* * *

They had already been at it for at least 10 minutes now, and everyone could slowly see the finish line.

"Come on Totodile, we can do this!" Ash encouraged his trusted water-type, who had for the most part managed to keep them among the first five. "Let's show them that we are the best!"

"Piplup, don't give up!" Dawn tried, only one trainer between her and Ash, only three trainers ahead of him. Trying his hardest, Piplup managed to increase the speed ever so slightly, and the gap between his trainer and the rest got smaller and smaller. Looking behind him, Ash saw how Dawn got ahead of the trainer behind him.

"We can't let her beat us!" Ash shouted to Totodile, who went even faster than before. Ash smiled at the prospect of winning. "You can do it Totodile, we can win this!"

"Here they come!" the announcer roared, the crowd cheering them on, some obviously having their personal favorite.

'Go Ash!' Latias nearly screamed, her voice extremely clear in Ash's head, who got even more determined as he saw Latias, Pikachu, Brock and Bianca cheer for him, and Dawn.

"It's close people, but only one can take home first place!" the announcer continued, the excitement rising even further as the top 5 closed in on the finish line.

"It's nearly over Totodile, give it all you got!"

'That was amazing!' Latias exclaimed, hugging Ash tightly, Pikachu sitting on the head of his trainer, patting him lightly in happiness over his and Totodile's victory. Watching from the side was Dawn, jealousy not describing what she was feeling at that moment, seeing Latias hugging Ash. What wouldn't she give to hug him instead of Latias, that Pokemon.

"Let's head back home, maybe grandpa can fix something for us in celebration of your great finish," Bianca told them, referring to Ash's first place finish and her second place finish. Silence surrounded them as they walked back to the house, the walk only taking a few minutes before Bianca pulled out her key and opened the front door and letting everyone in. "Grandpa, we're back!"

Hearing footsteps from above them, everyone looked in the direction of the stairs as Lorenzo came down. "Welcome back. How did it go?"

"It went great!" Ash said smiling, "I won the race, Dawn finished second."

"Congratulations!" Lorenzo congratulated them, "How about I make us lunch? You're free to do whatever you want until I'm finished."

"I will head upstairs, call when you're done." Brock decided, only five left in the kitchen.

'Hey Ash, how about we head to the garden?'

Glancing at Dawn, Ash didn't really have to think about it. "Sure."

"Hey Dawn, how about we help with grandpa making lunch?" Bianca asked, Dawn quickly shifting her attention from Ash and Latias to Bianca.

"What should I do?" Dawn wondered, Bianca answering by handing a plate.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ash was pushing the swing which Latias was sitting on, Pikachu having made himself comfortable in Latias' lap.

'So, what are we going do tomorrow?' Latias knew that her time with Ash was limited, the raven haired boy most likely leaving after tomorrow.

"I really don't know," Ash replied, having stopped to push the swing, Latias having jumped off it. "I would actually need to train my Pokemon, but at the same time I want to spend the most of my time here with you."

'Maybe I could help you train. It's not like I'm completely unable to battle.' Latias told him, solving Ash's problem. Now he could get in some training, and spend some more time with Latias. Noticing the soft golden light surrounding Latias, Ash couldn't keep his eyes away as he watched the transformation. He always preferred this form over her human form, but she seemed so eager to be in her human form, so he decided to not say anything.

"Ash, Latias!" a voice ringed through the garden, three pairs of eyes turning in the direction of the entrance. Entering the garden was Dawn, walking over to them. "I'm sent to bring you back. Lunch's ready."

"Alright, we're coming." Ash said, standing up and dusting off his pants. Now was her chance. Dawn slowly moved in front of Ash, trying to close the gap without raising any suspicions. Spotting her chance, Dawn lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Ash's neck. She hesitated for a short moment, then quickly pressed her lips against Ash's. Silence surrounded them, only to be pierced by a terrible scream.

* * *

**Do not worry Altoshippers, the ship is far from crashing! It's not very close to reaching the port either though. Give me another week's time and we will find out how things will work out. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It has really been up and down writing this, but here it is, the second to last chapter of _Beyond Stars and Chains_! I really tried my best to wrap it up, but it's not over yet. So, without further ado, enjoy the read!**

* * *

An ear-piercing scream bounced around the walls of the garden, Dawn ignoring it while savoring every single second of kissing Ash. On the opposite end, the trainer was shocked. This was not what he had wanted his first kiss to be like. It wasn't even with the person he liked.

"Get off me!" Ash managed to get out, shoving Dawn away angrily and quickly taking Latias' hand, who was now back in her human form, and headed straight for the exit.

"Ash!" Dawn called, his head spinning around, glaring at Dawn with an anger she had never seen from him. Why was he so angry? She had done him a favor. Not wanting to let him go, Dawn stood up and blocked the way for Ash and Latias.

"Why are you leaving already?" Ash couldn't believe it. What was wrong with her?

"Why I am leaving? You ask me why I am leaving?" The patience of the raven haired boy was running thin, very thin. "Get out of my sight."

"What?" Now it was Dawn's turn to be baffled.

"I don't want to see you anymore, not until you have returned to your senses." His voice was cold, Dawn never having heard Ash like this.

"So you prefer her, a Pokemon, over me?" Dawn knew very well that she was pushing it. "We've travelled for a year and have been through so much together. But you have only been her with her for what, two weeks max? I love you for Arceus' sake!"

Ash's expression quickly shifted from anger to something completely unreadable at Dawn's words. "You love me?"

"I've felt something for you since halfway through our journey, and I knew that I loved you since we reached the Lily of the Valley Conference!"

"I don't know what to say, Dawn." Ash admitted, truly not having seen that Dawn loved him. How could he have been so blind? Seeing that Latias had left them alone, Ash knew that he could openly say it. "My heart belongs to someone else."

Dawn stared where Latias had just been moments ago, knowing exactly who Ash's heart belonged to. "It's Latias isn't it?"

"Yes," Ash said without hesitation, having come to the conclusion the moment Dawn had said that she loved him. He knew that he had felt a connection with Latias the moment they met, but he never cared to dig deeper and try to understand it. But now it was crystal clear, especially after all the time they had spent together since he had gotten here. Dawn's looked like she was about to cry. "I'm sorry Dawn." Ash took her in for a hug and held her close as the girl sobbed, knowing that he would never love her like she wanted him to.

Pushing him away lightly, Dawn could only see one way to get things working again. "I'll leave you alone for a while, maybe I will come to accept that you love Latias."

"Thank you Dawn," Ash didn't know what he would have done if his and Dawn's friendship would have been ruined because of his love for Latias. "I know that you have a hard time accepting that human and Pokemon can love each other in such a way."

"I'll leave you alone then. I'm going out in the city and will be back before dinner."

"Dawn-"

"Now don't screw it up, or I will make you regret it." Ash couldn't see it, but he knew that Dawn was smiling as she stood with her back against him.

"I'll give it my best shot."

'Ash!' Latias shouted, her voice ringing clearly through their heads. Watching Dawn leave, Pallet Town's hero stared at the sun, a soft smile gracing his lips.

"Thank you Dawn." Ash repeated, seeing his dear friend, then follow the same path Dawn went.

* * *

"Hey Ash, did you know where Dawn went?" Brock asked, remembering how she passed through before heading out and leaving them rather baffled.

"There was something she needed to do." Ash responded, not bothering to tell them what had transpired in the garden. That was something between Dawn and him, and only something she could tell them.

"Did she say when she will be back?" Bianca wondered, worry clear in her voice.

"She said she'll be back for dinner."

"Well, if she wishes to be alone we will give her the space she wants," Lorenzo said, then pointing at the table. "And there's no need to let this go to waste."

* * *

It had already been an hour since the incident at the garden, if it could be called an incident. Dawn knew that it had been wrong to lash out like that. She had never seen Ash like that, and it had scared her. She had been terrified if she was completely honest, and if Ash hadn't been who he was that conversation could have gone completely different. Taking one of her pokeballs from her belt, Dawn threw it in the air and released her trusted starter from it.

"Pip?" Her starter asked, looking up at her, knowing that something was bothering Dawn. He was her starter for a reason.

"Do you ever think a human can love a Pokemon like they love other humans?" Dawn knew that she would have to accept it, eventually, if she wanted to keep Ash's friendship. She would have to try. "I mean, like how we can be in a relationship, just between a human and Pokemon."

"Piplup, pip pi lup." Piplup already knew what Dawn was talking about. It couldn't be more obvious really. Most Pokemon accepted it, maybe with some hesitation, but in the end they accepted it. So long they were happy with whoever they ended up with, it didn't matter if they chose Pokemon or human.

"Pokemon don't care about that?" Now Dawn was surprised. If she understood Piplup correctly, Pokemon obviously preferred being together with Pokemon but if they loved a human they wouldn't doubt their choice. Other Pokemon didn't care about it either.

"Lup." Piplup confirmed, Dawn wearing an unreadable expression. Maybe she could come to live with it, and she should support Ash no matter his decision. She was his friend after all.

"You're right," Dawn knew that it was pointless to further dwell on the problem, "How about I treat us to something nice?"

"Piplup." No hesitation on his side, quickly climbing up her body before he found his usual spot on her head. Laughing at the antics, Dawn started looking around for a nice place where they could find something nice to eat, not having had any lunch yet.

"Let's go then," Finding a suitable street for their intention, multiple restaurants laid along the street that Dawn decided to take. "There're so many options. Any ideas?"

"Pip." Piplup pointed to one of restaurants, one specializing on fish. Of course. Being a bird didn't help the matter.

"I don't think you want to eat that."

"Piplup." A one sided mind he had. Well, if he wanted to try fish she wouldn't stop him from it. Entering the restaurants, one of the waiters greeted her and lead her to a table at the huge windows, allowing her to observe everything happening outside.

"Is it possible to order one of the dishes for Pokemon?" Dawn asked politely, holding the menu in her hands and looking through the options.

"Well, we have never had someone request that but there should be no problem with it," The waiter told her, writing down her order, Dawn ordering the same for Piplup, obviously a much smaller portion though. Waiting a few minutes, the waiter returned with two plates in his hand as he place down both. "Bon appetite."

"Thank you," Dawn thanked the waiter with a smile, starting to eat as Piplup inspected what he had gotten. "You wanted fish, right? That's fish."

"Dawn?" Dawn looked up as she heard her name being called. Trying to spot whoever had called her name, she saw that it was Ash, Latias next to him and holding his hand.

"Hey guys," Ash smiled at her, while Latias looked a bit more uncomfortable in her presence, which was understandable. She had to do something if she wanted the awkwardness to go away. Standing up, Dawn walked over to Latias and held out her hand. "I'm really sorry for what happened in the garden. I hope that you can forgive me."

Latias knew she could be wary of Dawn, and continue to focus on what had happened in the garden. But here she was given the chance to simply forget, and start anew.

Latias looked at Dawn's hand, before she took it with a smile on her face. 'I forgive you.'

"Come, sit down," Dawn gestured to the table, Piplup completely ignoring them as he continued to devour his fish, Pikachu finding a spot on the chair next to him. "Again, I'm really sorry for what I did. I don't know what came over me."

'It's alright, Ash told me what you said.' So Latias knew. But she didn't seem to be bothered by it.

"So, tomorrow we're going back." Ash said, catching her a little off-guard. Dawn had completely forgotten that they were going back tomorrow!

"Oh," Dawn had actually started to enjoy being in Altomare a lot, and would actually miss it when she had to leave. "Do we have any time left here tomorrow or are leaving as early as possible?"

"The ship is leaving late afternoon, so we got some time to spend," Ash answered, smiling at her. "How about we go down do the docks? Latias said she was interested in drawing some stuff. She had originally planned on doing that the day we arrived, but she didn't get the chance. Interested in coming along?"

"You can draw?" Dawn was a little surprised. Well, if you spent so much time with Bianca some of those drawing skills probably passed over. "Sure, let's enjoy the nice weather today. Let me just finish eating."

* * *

'It's always so interesting to watch everything happening down below,' Latias told them, having already finished two pictures. 'And, there're so many possible things you can draw.'

"I can see what you mean." Dawn chimed in, enjoying the view as much as her friends and their Pokemon.

"That's amazing." Ash exclaimed, getting Dawn's attention as looked down at Latias' picture. It was them! Somehow Latias had managed, without noticing, drawn a picture of them. Latias was blushing at all the praise she was receiving, pulling off the paper and putting it atop the other two pictures as she started working on another one.

"Now that you've won the Sinnoh League, when do you plan on challenging the Elite Four?"

Ash had actually thought through his options, and knew what he had to do. "Once I'm back in Pallet Town I will immediately start training, until I feel confident that we are strong enough."

Suddenly, Latias stood up, not looking at them and her head hanging low. 'I'm heading back to the garden.'

"Latias-" Ash called, trying to follow her but Dawn put a hand on his shoulder. Ash looked at her like she was mad.

"Let her be," Dawn said, being pretty sure why Latias left so quickly. "She'll come around eventually, and then you can talk to her."

Ash really wanted to go after, but he trusted Dawn's judgment and sat back down. "Why did she leave? Was it something I said?"

"Yes." Dawn replied, it quickly dawning on Ash what exactly made Latias leave.

"I can't believe I forgot that," Ash knew how much Latias loved spending time with him, and he knew she would be sad to see him leave, but he didn't know she would be this broken. This might be his last chance. "I've to talk to her now."

"Then go!" Dawn nearly shouted, giving Ash a light push in the direction. "I'll be back at the house with the others."

"Thanks!" Ash called, not looking back as he started sprinting towards the garden, with Pikachu in his tow. Slowing down a little, Ash let Pikachu jump on his shoulder, before increasing his tempo again. Now he just needed to not get lost in this maze. "Do you know the fastest way back?"

"Pika, kapi chu." Pikachu said, pointing in a direction with his short chubby arms.

"I hope you know where we're going." Trusting his starter's directions, Ash kept his high pace, slowly coming to recognize the streets. Now knowing where he was, Ash started running down the streets, coming closer and closer to the entrance of the secret garden. Spotting the entrance, Pikachu leapt from his trainer's shoulder and sprinted ahead through the entrance and into the garden.

"Pi chupi!" Pikachu shouted, something that could be interpreted as Latias' name. Catching up with Pikachu, Ash frantically looked around for Latias, looking for any sign of her being in the garden. With the garden being completely quiet, Ash actually heard sobs coming from the small stream of water. Carefully walking closer, the trainer could see her lying on the ground, crying. He continued his slow advance, until he nearly was next to her.

"Latias," As soon as he had spoken, the dragoness bolted into the air, turning around to stare at the object of her affection with bloodshot eyes. "If you really want me to stay, I will stay. My dream can wait for nearly a year if it really comes down to it."

'But, I don't want to force you to stay here.'

"Force me to stay here?" Ash couldn't hold back chuckling at Latias' words. "You don't need to force anything. I'm more than happy to stay here with you, especially if it makes you happy."

Latias tried to blink away her tears, looking at Ash. 'Really?'

"Really," Ash reassured her, caught by surprise as he got tackled to the ground by an overjoyed Latias. "I've an even better idea. How about you come with me, back to Pallet Town?"

Had she heard that correct? Ash was asking her if she wanted to come with him to Pallet Town? Not knowing what to say, Latias did what she had wanted to do for a very long time. Plunging forward, Latias caught Ash's lips with her own and initiated a heated kiss between them. Just standing there, dumbfounded, it took a while for Ash to start acting. Once he did, he responded with same amount of passion Latias was showing. Watching them, all giddy and happy, was Pikachu who was overjoyed at seeing his trainer and Latias kiss. He had waited for that to happen since they had gotten here, but once Ash had told him what had happened earlier, Pikachu had gotten worried about the situation. Breaking apart from the kiss, which they had tried to hold on to as long as possible, Ash and Latias didn't know what to say to each other.

"Latias, I-"

'I love you, Ash.' Latias confessed on the spot. Ash knew that he really liked her, but hearing her say those simple words made it so much simpler.

"I love you too," Ash didn't hesitate to give Latias a quick peck on the lips, now that they knew what they truly felt for each other. Their hearts were beating faster and than they could imagine and the happiness they felt was limitless. "So, do you really want to come with me to Pallet Town?"

'Yes!' Latias nodded early at the prospect of being with Ash, even though she would miss her home and her family, Bianca and Lorenzo.

"Don't worry, we'll come back whenever you want," Ash added, Latias hugging him extremely tight, the prospect of being with the one she loves, and being able to get back here. "But there's you have to know before we leave."

'What is it?' Latias asked, not liking the serious expression Ash was wearing, comparing to his cheerful one from earlier.

"I know that Pokemon fully accept relationships between themselves and humans, and don't see any problems with them. We, as opposed to you, look down on relationships between us and Pokemon, and such relationships are illegal in 4 out of the 6 regions," Ash explained, fear building in Latias' chest. "Only in Kanto and Sinnoh the law doesn't exist, but many people in other regions completely accept them anyway."

'Oh.' Latias had been holding her breath, without noticing, and was relieved to hear that people in Kanto wouldn't look down on them.

"That doesn't mean everyone likes it, but most people accept it. And there's nothing they can do anyway."

'That's good to hear,' Latias admitted, her worries slowly starting to fade away. One thing was still on her mind, something that had been on her mind the moment Ash had gotten here. 'Ash.'

"Hmm?" Ash wondered, Latias' tone catching his interest. Was she blushing?

'Do you like me like this or do you prefer my human form?' Once those words left her mouth, Latias turned away from Ash, her getting even redder as she waited for Ash to say something.

"I like in whatever form you are, even though I have to admit you look more beautiful like this."

'Do you mean that?' Latias really didn't doubt Ash, but she wanted to hear him say it again.

"You're beautiful, even more when you're like this." Even though he loved her, it wasn't easy to say those things, even if they were true. Hugging him tightly, Latias rested her head on Ash's shoulder, the rest of her body floating in the air.

'Come here, Pikachu,' Latias told the rodent, who happily joined the two, climbing onto Ash, and then onto Latias. 'That tickles!'

"Ash? Latias?" Dawn's voice called, breaking the trance the two lovers had been in since their first kiss. Getting in a quick peck, Latias pulled away flustered as she saw Dawn at the edge of her sight. "So, is it official yet?"

"Yes," Ash replied, no hesitation in his voice, as he glanced at Latias. "We just need to tell the others now."

Walking over to them, Dawn sat down and stared at the water before Pikachu jumped into her lap. "Hey Pikachu."

"Pika." Pikachu greeted back, cooing as Dawn scratched him behind his ear. Seeing Ash and Latias kiss had been a surprise, but from being completely against it to not being bothered by it, was a big step.

"Latias is coming with us." Ash interrupted their silence, Dawn looking at him and not seeing any signs of him not being serious.

"That's great!" Dawn could be only happy for Ash, and for Latias, now. They didn't have to separate and Ash could still challenge the Elite Four once he was ready.

'Let's head back, I want to tell everyone what has happened!' The happiness in Latias' voice couldn't be miss, as she quickly flew through the garden to the exit. 'Aren't you coming?'

"We're coming!" Ash responded, Latias giggling as she waited for them to catch up with her. Positioning himself in front of her, Latias waited for him to do something, whatever he planned. "I love you, Latias."

'I love you too, Ash.' Leaning forwards Latias for fourth time kissed Ash, this time as passionate as their first kiss.

"Are you done any time soon?" Dawn was getting a little impatient, even if it wasn't that big of a deal considering why she had to wait. Both of them blushed, looking away from her until she had left the garden.

'Come on, I can't wait to tell Bianca!'

* * *

"I'm so happy for you!" Bianca was more than happy to hear that Ash and Latias were together now, Brock and Lorenzo nodding in agreement.

'I'm also going with Ash tomorrow.' Latias revealed to them, Bianca and Lorenzo not believing what they just heard.

"You're leaving?" Lorenzo asked incredulously, never having thought that moment would come. Bianca was shocked as well, not knowing what to think of her best friend leaving.

'I will of course visit as often as I can.' Relief washed over her two friends, happy to hear that she wasn't gone out of their life forever.

"In honor of your new found love I will prepare a feast." Lorenzo declared, everyone enjoying the prospect of a feast.

"I'll help you, seeing that one cook won't be able to serve Ash," Brock added, Bianca also offering her help. "You can do whatever you want in the mean time, but in an hour you are to be back here for the feast."

* * *

Ash watched as the ship got closer and closer, a pokeball in his hand. He had decided catch Latias, not because he planned on ever using her in a real battle, but for her own safety. The feast Lorenzo and Brock, with Bianca's help, had put together had been incredible. Ash had eaten a lot over the years, but this one had to top it all.

"It has been nice here, hasn't it?" Ash asked Pikachu, sitting on his usual spot as he also watched the ship.

"Pikapi, chu pi chu." Pikachu responded happily, truly happy of how their trip unfolded. It couldn't have gone any better really.

"Sure will be nice to be back home. Altomare is great, Pallet Town is even greater." Once those words were spoken, Ash could feel a pair of arms wrap around his chest and a head rest on his shoulder.

'How long until the ship will arrive?' His girlfriend asked, joining trainer and Pokemon in watching the ship.

"It should arrive in a few minutes." Ash told her, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. He tried his best to show her affection, but at the same time tried to not make it unnatural.

"Piplup!" Dawn's starter called, all three of them turning around and spotting Brock, Dawn and Piplup sprinting towards them.

"We thought we would miss the ship." Brock obviously felt relief at not having missed it, having had his fair share of those occasions.

"There are still a few minutes to spare," Ash repeated what he had said to Latias earlier, returning his attention to the ship. "I'm surprised you're coming with us back."

"Well, I got nothing better to do, and I might pick up some things during your training." Dawn really wanted to spend some more time with Ash, having a hard time splitting up after travelling a year together.

"And who knows what you would do without me." Brock added, everyone laughing at his words. "Also, I really got to see some of your tricks. Plus, I could probably get your Pokemon in tip-top shape with the right diet."

"I wouldn't even think of doing it without you," Ash joked back, considering it would probably feel off not having Brock along after travelling through 4 regions together. This was the only acceptable way. "There's the ship! You ready for this?"

Knowing that the question was directed at her, Latias had only one thing to say. 'With you by my side? Always.'

"Stop being like that. You can do when you're alone, but not when others, especially us, are watching." Dawn interfered in their moment, Brock just chuckling away at their antics.

"You mean we should stop being like this?" Ash asked Dawn, leaning forward and pressing his lips softly against Latias', engaging in a passionate kiss.

"Stop it!"

* * *

**I don't know if I'm really satisfied with this, but I'll let you judge. I still plan on writing an epilogue to this story, just to fully finish it. I'm going to talk about some things in the notes for the epilogue. I'm also working on notes for my next story, and will post a summary of it on my profile if you're interested. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I'll be back for the epilogue. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Epilogue

**Welcome, to the finale of _Beyond Stars and Chains_! I'll make this short, and just let to enjoy this. Happy reading! (Long wall of text at the end.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

"Heh, even all my training doesn't seem to cut it," Ash chuckled, the battlefield looking like a war had taken place there, instead of an ordinary Pokemon battle. Standing on the other side was Cynthia and her Garchomp. "That Garchomp is truly something special."

Cynthia was unable to hold in her laugh at Ash's words. "I have trained her for 10 years, and he hasn't lost a single battle since I became the Champion 4 years ago."

"Looks like her lucky streak will come to an end then. I didn't come this far to lose because of a single Pokemon," Ash declared, leaving the battlefield and walking over to the bench on the sidelines where Latias, Pikachu, Dawn and Brock were sitting, watching the battle with excitement and anxiousness. "You ready?"

"Pikapi, chupi ka!" Pikachu boasted, Ash smiling at his words. Before he could return though, he was stopped by his girlfriend, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

'Good luck.' Latias said, returning back to the bench and letting Ash back to his designated spot.

"I hope you're prepared Cynthia, because me and Pikachu won't lose here!" Ash shouted across the field, Cynthia smiling at his bold words.

"Me and Garchomp don't plan on losing to a trainer and his Pikachu," Cynthia knew that losing was possibility, but winning was one as well. "Here we go! Garchomp, Draco Meteor!"

"Pikachu, use them as stepping stones!" Ash ordered, having practiced just this move with Gible, thankfully knowing Draco Meteor. "Iron Tail!"

"Dragon Claw!" Garchomp's retaliation as instant, catching Pikachu in an awkward position, not able to fully complete the swinging motion of Iron Tail. "Throw him away, then go with Giga Impact!"

Getting flung away, crashing into the ground, Pikachu quickly recovered and awaited Ash's next move. "Double Team!"

"Use the holes left by Draco Meteor for Dig!" Already charging Giga Impact, Garchomp halted his movements and started digging in one of the many holes on the field. "Now!"

"Behind you Pikachu!" Ash shouted, spotting the small movements of the ground as Garchomp burst out from the ground.

"Dragon Claw!"

"Iron Tail!" The two moves clashed, slowly revealing Garchomp's brute strength as she pushed Pikachu further and further away. "Thunderbolt!"

"Don't give in!" Cynthia supported her Pokemon, not knowing how long Garchomp would be able to keep using Dragon Claw and take a Thunderbolt at such close range. Starting to show signs of damage, Garchomp stopped using Dragon Claw. "Flamethrower!"

"Dodge it with Quick Attack, then use Electro Ball!" Ash knew that taking down Garchomp would be a tall task, considering how fragile Pikachu was in comparison to Garchomp. If she could block a Frenzy Plant with her fins, chances were that she wouldn't have any problems with most of Pikachu's attacks.

"Block it!" Of course, why wouldn't she do that? Turning around, Garchomp crossed her fins and anticipated the attack. But then Pikachu did something that neither, nor Ash, expected. He forced himself to drop a little further, throwing his attack at Garchomp's legs. The roar was deafening, Garchomp only covering the upper parts of herself, which should have worked based on that Pikachu had jumped in the air.

"Good job! Give her a Thunderbolt for good measure!" Pikachu unleashed electricity upon Garchomp, the roar continuing until Pikachu stopped.

"Brick Break!" Garchomp's revenge was sweet, striking the unprepared Pikachu who didn't expect, neither did Ash, such a quick recovery. "Stone Edge!"

Did that Garchomp ever give up? Guess there was a reason why she was Cynthia's ace. "Counter Shield!" Ash knew that he was in a tight spot, any of Garchomp's move were lethal to Pikachu's ability to battle. Starting to spin, Pikachu surrounded himself in electricity. About to hit Pikachu, Garchomp's fin got caught in the electric field, pulling it away to avoid taken any further harm from the field. "Agility, then use Iron Tail!"

Moving faster than he eye could register, Pikachu appeared behind Garchomp, once again appearing to target her legs. "It worked once, but not again! Crouch, then use Flamethrower!"

"No, Pikachu!" Ash shouted, Pikachu in no position to dodge the incoming attack. Having to take the brunt of Garchomp's Flamethrower, his trainer could only watch as Pikachu was enveloped in flames. "Don't give up! Use Thunder!"

"Garchomp, dodge it!" But the order came to late, a deafening crack sounded through the battlefield as Pikachu burst out of the flames and unleashed the attack upon Garchomp. Far more powerful than a Thunderbolt, even more powerful than an ordinary Thunder, Pikachu didn't hold back as the electricity left his body. "Get him out of the air, Draco Meteor!"

Being high above Garchomp didn't help Pikachu particularly in this matter, because it meant that he was straight in the arc of Garchomp's Draco Meteor. "Try and deflect it with a Iron Tail!"

"Has he gone mad? There's no way Pikachu can do that!" Dawn screamed from the sidelines, the friends having been silent through the entire match.

"Don't doubt Ash and Pikachu. They haven't stopped taking every challenge head on." Brock replied, knowing that Pikachu was far from beaten. Swinging his tail at the attack, everyone was watching as Pikachu struck the draconic energy. The resulting explosion was massive, the entire battlefield shook as shockwave after shockwave emerged and from the clash.

"Do it!" Ash shouted, amidst the smoke the orb of draconic energy appear, soaring straight at Garchomp.

"What?!" Cynthia couldn't believe it. A Pikachu had deflected one of the strongest dragon-type attacks out there. Mirroring her trainer's shock, Garchomp was unable to dodge her reflected attack and took it head on. Crashing into the ground, a cloud of smoke surrounded Garchomp. "No, Garchomp!"

"Don't give them any rest, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu didn't hesitate to comply with his trainer, neither knowing how much more he could take, and how far that Garchomp was from fainting. The bolt rushed straight at where Garchomp should have been, but wasn't.

"Now!" Garchomp burst out under Pikachu, having used Dig to escape Pikachu's attack. Now Pikachu was in a tight spot. "Dragon Claw!"

"Take it!" There weren't many options, trying to counter it wouldn't work, dodging was no option either. This was the best he could do, and hope that Pikachu wouldn't cave in. Getting struck by the Dragon Claw, Pikachu screamed in pain, knowing that there was nothing that he could have done. Now he had to recover, and fast.

"Finish it with Giga Impact!" Garchomp roared in approval, preparing what would be her final attack to secure the victory for her trainer.

"We won't give up just yet," Ash knew that this would be clutch, but it was far from lost. It was all about Pikachu's endurance. "Electro Ball, as many as possible!"

"It's over, isn't it?" Dawn asked, wanting Ash to win, but how could he possibly manage that?

"No, not if I know Ash." Brock was confident, maybe those Electro Balls could weaken Garchomp enough to cancel the attack.

'I believe in him.' Latias said, speaking for the first time since the battle between Pikachu and Garchomp had started. Throwing Electro Ball after Electro Ball at Garchomp, Pikachu really hoped that there would be any result, because else it was over. There was no way he could take that Giga Impact. Charging at him, Garchomp ever so slowly decreased in speed and power.

"Yes, it's working!" Ash was ecstatic, he hadn't won yet but it was close. "It's over! Full powered Volt Tackle!"

"Dragon Rush!" The two trusty starters unleashed one of their most powerful attacks, all intentions on take home the win for their trainer. Sprinting faster and faster, Pikachu started to chant as he became bathed in electricity, Garchomp surrounding herself in draconic energy. Their collide was massive, a short moment they were battling for superiority, the next moment the entire building shook as the trainers had to cover themselves to not take the brunt of the attacks released force. "Don't give up, Garchomp!"

"You can do it, Pikachu!" Ash was on his edge as he waited for the dust and smoke to lift so it was possible to see anything. Both trainers were practically praying for their Pokemon to be the one standing, and that the opposition wasn't. Waiting anxiously, both trainers did their best to spot their Pokemon through the smoke, which was slowly disappearing. Standing valiantly, Pikachu and Garchomp stared at each other with determination in their eyes, trying to outlast each other.

"Pika ka, Pikapi." Of course he would never give up, he and Ash didn't surrender unless it was necessary. Both Pokemon gave it their all to not simply give up, and accept their well needed rest, while pride was on the line. It became clear though the only one would prevail.

"Garchomp is unable to battle!" The referee declared, having watched the battle with the same amount of interest as the others. "Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town is the winner!"

Ash couldn't believe it. He had won. "We did it!" Ash rushed over and picked up Pikachu, hugging him tightly, both trainer and Pokemon overjoyed at their victory.

"You did great, Garchomp." Cynthia praised her Pokemon, petting her on the head before recalling her so she could rest. "Well, there's only one thing left to do. Ash!"

Looking up, Ash saw Cynthia walk up to him, a smile on her lips, and an expression that could be described as proud. "What is it?"

"Don't tell you have already forgotten," Cynthia couldn't believe it. This boy was a genius when it came to Pokemon. But everything else? "You're the new Sinnoh Champion. Which means there will be the official ceremony, you will have show matches against the Elite Four, you have to hold a small speech and the coronation."

"I-" Oh right. Ash had completely forgotten about that. He really needed to focus more on things outside battling, his Pokemon and Latias. "How hard can that possibly be?"

'Not very hard with me, Brock and Dawn there to help you.' Latias informed him, everyone laughing at his expense.

"What would I do without you?" Ash couldn't have it in any other way.

"Then hurry up," Cynthia told them, "You don't have all the time in the world to prepare."

"Think we can get something together?" Ash asked, his friends, and girlfriend, shoving him through the door so they could prepare.

* * *

"I've been the Champion for 4 years now, and never have I met a trainer like this," Cynthia started her small speech, Ash just having finished his last show match. "He already impressed me the first time he came to Sinnoh, taking on the gym leaders and securing a spot in the Lily of the Valley Conference. He took it by storm, defeating the trainer that everyone hailed as the clear favorite of the entire conference. Now, let me present to you your new Sinnoh Champion, Ash Ketchum!"

The support for their new Champion was deafening, the crowd already being loud during the two battles Ash had participated in. Managing to calm the crowd down, a giddy smile graced his face as he waited for complete silence. "I can't actually believe I'm here, in Sinnoh of all regions. It has been over a year now since I set my foot on Sinnoh for the first time, and the experience of travelling this wonderful region has been breathtaking."

'He surely makes it sound better than it should.'

"Winning the Lily of the Valley Conference was like a dream come true, but I knew it didn't end there. I had the choice of taking a shot at becoming the new Champion," Ash spoke, the words sounding through the huge arena, the same arena in which he defeated Tobias. He really would have to thank the others for helping him. "I know you remember my sudden disappearance after my victory, and I apologize for that. But if I hadn't, I don't know if I would have actually made it this far. But especially I have to thank my wonderful girlfriend, for supporting me and keeping me going,"

Waving at her to step forward, Latias hesitated for a second before deciding to comply. They hadn't planned this! "Now, this might come as a surprise to many of you, but my wonderful girlfriend possesses a very special trait."

'Are you really going to do this?' Latias asked her boyfriend, a small nod being the only response she got.

"Latias, show them what I mean," Murmurs went through the crowd, nearly everyone recognizing the name Latias. Who wouldn't after Tobias used a Latios? Giving in to Ash's request, Latias went through the transformation, having become like a second nature to her. "Many of you can't imagine how much I love her, and even though she is a Pokemon, it doesn't change anything the slightest. Relationships between us and Pokemon are shunned all over the world, and are illegal in the majority of regions. I'm here to not only be your Champion, but also show the world that a relationship between Pokemon and humans is something wonderful. Thank you."

"I'm shocked." Cynthia said, barely heard by the others as the crowd went wild as Ash had finished his speech. This was far louder than the first time, and even more surprising was how well Ash's speech went. Sinnoh was known for being the most accepting of such relationships, but many still saw them as abominations.

"If Ash really plans on proving the other regions wrong, I think he's off to a good start." Brock added, Dawn fully agreeing. How things could change so quickly. Not long ago, she had looked down on those relationships, but now she supported them whole heartedly. Being in Ash's and Latias' presence truly worked wonders.

"Come, dinner is about to be served. I'm sure our new Champion is hungry after such a long day." Cynthia chuckled at her own words, waiting for Ash and Latias to return to them, Pikachu having found a place with Brock.

"That went far better than I expected." Ash declared, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he looked at his friends.

"Haven't you forgotten something?" Dawn asked, Ash shooting her a questioning look. "I think you forgot to tell your Mom about this."

"Oh god. I'm so finished." Latias could only feel sympathy for her boyfriend, hugging him lightly as tried to assure him everything would be alright.

'If she lets us explain I think we can work everything out.'

"I really hope we can."

* * *

"Heh, I didn't expect that from Ashy-Boy." Gary was the only who was amused by the revelation, his grandfather looked baffled and Mrs. Ketchum looked like she would faint any moment. Tracey was in the middle, not really knowing what to do. Everyone was quiet, until Mrs. Ketchum nearly exploded.

"I'm going to give a piece of my mind once he gets back, and there'll be no escape from this!" Mrs. Ketchum was venting her annoyance at much as she could. How could he have not her told her that Latias was his girlfriend?! He had introduced them, even told her that she was a Pokemon, but no mention of them being together, at all!

"Mrs. Ketchum, you should really calm down." Tracey tried his best, but a glare silenced him rather quickly as Mrs. Ketchum continued her little rant.

"I will calm down once they explain everything! When will they be back?!"

"That might take some time," Gary hoped this would at least save them from her anger, hopefully. "Ash will first be back in three days. So you will have to wait for a while."

"I don't care, he and I will have a very long talk."

* * *

**This has been an incredible experience for me. Most of all seeing how many of you read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story. 1725 views, 21 reviews, 25 favorites and 39 followers. Do you know happy it makes me seeing how many are interested in my story? It really feels nice reading those reviews, even responding to some of them. There was one consensus though in the last reviews, disappointment. I know many of you would have liked this to go on, but give me a break. I planned this to be rather short, and not a long story. Also, this was a test run. How would people react to my writing? Seeing how many of you enjoyed, one thing is sure. There'll be a sequel. But, before that I've another idea in my mind, one that can be seen on my profile in the form of a summary. If you're interested, take a look at that. If not, well then you'll to wait for the sequel. Once again, thanks to all of you for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading _Beyond Stars and Chains_ as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I'll hope to see you my other stories as well!**


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